Children’s right to “learn to move and move to learn”

One of the biggest shocks for developmental psychologists was the discovery of Orphanages in Romania, after the wall collapse in 1989. A big number of orphanages was discovered, each with an overflow of children, which were growing up contained side by side in metal cots. Unable to move around and explore their environment children were growing up and developing a number of issues. Lack of movement has an influence on all aspects of child development. Of course, there were other factors that influenced development of children- it is now widely known that institutionalization and lack of secure attachement (or lack of primary caregiver even) had profoundly negative effect on children (Hayes, 2010). The Romanian Orphanages is one of the negative research examples. If you want to find out more about it, here is the link to a short BBC Documentary, in which an Orphanage survivor talks about his childhood.

“Children learn to move and move to learn” (Early Education, 2024)).

Nowadays research focuses on proving and demonstrating the benefits of movement, as researching on children the lack of movement would be considered highly unethical. The importance of enabling children to move around in a variety of ways has been proven over and over again and it cannot be stressed enough. Movement is a crucial element of health, therefore it is also children´s right. Children have a right to be growing up healthy, in healthy environments. We, adults, are obligated to provide it for them.

If you are an early childhood educator you probably know the different types of movements and its importance for overall importance:

Cross- lateral movement

This type of movement engages both sides of the body simultaneously and involves crossing the midline. Activities such as creeping, crawling, clambering, running, walking, and pedaling facilitate cross-lateral movement and aid in the development of coordination between hands, arms, legs, feet, and eyes. Regular exposure to these fundamental movements during early childhood enhances the establishment of robust connections between the brain's hemispheres, As this occurs, the potential for advanced sensory processing expands, allowing children to improve their ability to organize thoughts and articulate words, thereby enhancing coordination and speech sequencing, which are crucial for effective communication and early writing skills. Over time, this development also aids in children's capacity to visually follow and read printed materials in their surroundings, such as billboards, packaging, notices, and books. Regular engagement in cross-lateral movements offers significant benefits for children's physical and psychological growth (Early Childhood, 2024).

Balance and Coordination

The vestibular system, located in the inner ear, plays a crucial role in supporting balance and coordination by providing sensory information. This system is activated when fluid within the inner ear moves in response to head movements. To develop a robust sense of balance and coordination, children should engage in various movements such as rocking, rolling, spinning, tipping, tilting, and jumping. Providing ample opportunities for these kinds of movements enables children to better regulate their bodies and sustain attention over extended periods. If a child struggles to sit still during storytelling, it may indicate an underdeveloped vestibular system, signaling the need for additional movement opportunities. Recognizing this, many early childhood educators now emphasize the importance of incorporating rhythmic movement activities before transitioning children to more sedentary tasks like story time, as this primes them for improved focus and attention.

Deep Sensory Awareness

Proprioception involves the ability to sense the position of our bodies in space and locate body parts and extremities without visual cues. This skill is crucial for effective body coordination and spatial awareness. Additionally, it encompasses understanding the appropriate amount of force needed for tasks like lifting objects or using writing tools. Children benefit from activities involving lifting, carrying, holding, pushing, and pulling bulky, heavy, and unwieldy objects. These experiences help them develop a sense of pressure regulation and spatial reasoning, essential skills with lifelong implications, including mathematical proficiency.

A part of the deep sensory awareness is also interoception. Interoception refers to our awareness of our body's internal condition. It encompasses our capacity to detect and interpret internal sensations like hunger, thirst, heartbeat, breathing rate, temperature, and emotional states. By enabling individuals to manage their physiological reactions and emotional states, interoception plays a vital role in fostering overall well-being and self-awareness.

Now, think and answer this question for yourself: Are all the types of movements addressed in your service? Do you make sure that children in your care have a possibility to exercise all types of movements? The answer should be yes by the way.

It is only possible to offer all types of movements to children by having the environment that makes it possible. The (indoor and outdoor) space can either be perceived as a favorable or unfavorable influence. The room that is too small and crowded will not provide enough movement opportunities for children. In cramped daycare facilities with high occupancy, children often feel compelled to be overly cautious and limited in their movements, resulting in restlessness and a suppression of their natural activity (Kuhlenkamp, Schlesinger, 2023).

Indoor Environment

The best scenario would be having a designated sports room. The other option is setting up small movement corners: Providing blankets, cushions, mats, sheets and boxes with which children can build will make play more active. Pedestals, different levels and niches for retreat could be a great alternate with seating. This also makes it possible to “enlarge” rooms. Vehicles and skateboards can be used in hallways and corridors. In Reggio Education Concept, for example, there is a children's restaurant so that the group rooms can remain free of tables and chairs. A very col piece of equipment for the very young children are the pieces designed by Emmi Pikler, which allow for variety of movements indoors (Kuhlenkamp, Schlesinger, 2023).

Outdoor Environment

Outdoor environment should also present a number of movement possibilities for children. The outside area of ​​the facility and its design should be viewed as equivalent to the inside, because it is considered an important learning and experience space for children. It should be designed in a varied manner and taking into account the different needs of the age groups. A slide and sandpit gives children exercise, but does not necessarily encourage exploratory play. Rather- different types of ground surfaces, vegetated and unvegetated, sandy and with pits, hills, etc. the opportunity to build, redesign and to garden. Older children can be provided with boards, pieces of wood and beams to create a building site (Kuhlenkamp, Schlesinger, 2023). Another option is of course taking children out on a regular basis to different parks and forest if possible. Connected to the movement is the opportunity for risky play, a play that challenges children to experiment and test themselves. 

Designing spaces for children’s play with planning for lots of movements can be challenging. The process should involve children in every step of the way. Deciding where to situate a movement corner in the room can be done by close observation and testing with very young children, while the older children can be asked and interviewed. You could use playful methods, such as childcare centre detectives or clay design to help children spot the best corners or spaces to facilitate movement activities. Children can help with choosing the furniture or equipment, as well as with assembly. Children can support educators in designing and setting up the activities. Only then children will truly benefit from it. And only then it can be called children’s right oriented practice, at least from the movement point of view.

Sources:

Deep Sensory Awareness: Photo by Tatiana Syrikova: https://www.pexels.com/pl-pl/zdjecie/drewno-natura-wakacje-rece-3850017/

Early Education (2024) Physical development in the early childhood. https://early-education.org.uk/physical-development-early-childhood/

Noirin Hayes (2010) Early Childhood. Gill & Macmillan: Dublin.

Kuhlenkamp, S., Schlesinger, G. (2023) Bewegungsförderung in Kindertageseinrichtungen. Reinhardt